silver_mica Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 I've got four Gibson guitars - 1992 Les Paul Custom Plus 1995 Les Paul Custom 2001 Les Paul Custom Shop 1997 ES-335 Dot Reissue Not sure where I got this, but I had always thought of the inlays as plastic (pearloid) and the headstock using mother of pearl. A week or two ago someone was at my house and asked me if the inlays on my Les Paul guitars were mother of pearl - I said, no they weren't, but the headstock might have mother of pearl. It was then I saw that the material on the headstock looked similar to what was on the fretboard (not counting the yellowish lacquer color). I didn't have too much luck with asking around. It seems you can't say with certainty based on year and model alone. So, I felt it's probably best to make that call on a case-by-case basis. I decided to round up all the Gibson guitars and shoot a video and put the question out there: is it MOP or Pearloid? The video above shows all four guitars and their fret markers and headstock logo. I tried to keep the time down - but it's ten minutes total. Here is the YouTube The photos below are of the 1995 Les Paul Custom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver_mica Posted October 1, 2018 Author Share Posted October 1, 2018 I'm not 100% sure - but it appears that all three of my Les Paul guitars have MOP fret markers (I've got two 90s LP Customs and one 2001 LP Custom Shop). I went to Guitar Center and found a Les Paul with markers that looked like mine and then had the clerk pull up the specs - and it said "pearl" in the description. But, I am curious to know the exact process of these pearl inlays. I've got a BB King and Gibson website says it s MOP Block Inlays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelT Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 (edited) I'm not 100% sure - but it appears that all three of my Les Paul guitars have MOP fret markers (I've got two 90s LP Customs and one 2001 LP Custom Shop). I went to Guitar Center and found a Les Paul with markers that looked like mine and then had the clerk pull up the specs - and it said "pearl" in the description. But, I am curious to know the exact process of these pearl inlays. They usually will say Pearloid Acrylic. There are a few models which do use MOP but I'm not certain which. They'll probably ask for years and serial numbers. You could always email Gibson support and they should be able to tell you: Gibson Customer Service Email the Customer Service team at service@gibson.com You can also reach us by phone In the USA: 1-800-4GIBSON (1-800-444-2766) In Europe: 00+800-4GIBSON1 (00+800-444-2766-1) In China: 1-800-820-8841 Edited October 2, 2018 by MichaelT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver_mica Posted October 3, 2018 Author Share Posted October 3, 2018 (edited) Curiosity not to be mistaken for discontent. My BB sounds killer and I really don't care it they are acrylic, which it probably is, or MOP. Edited October 3, 2018 by silver_mica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver_mica Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 To the contrary, it is curiosity that motivates. Weather the inlays are acrylic or real MOP just does not make a bit of difference to me. To you it obviously does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver_mica Posted October 6, 2018 Author Share Posted October 6, 2018 Seems too easy. I was hoping for something more along the lines of a risky science experiment - with the possibility of lowering the value of the guitar. Understand, All I can say is dial 1-800-Gibson-What-The-Hell-Have-I-Got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamval Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 I've got four Gibson guitars - 1992 Les Paul Custom Plus 1995 Les Paul Custom 2001 Les Paul Custom Shop 1997 ES-335 Dot Reissue Not sure where I got this, but I had always thought of the inlays as plastic (pearloid) and the headstock using mother of pearl. A week or two ago someone was at my house and asked me if the inlays on my Les Paul guitars were mother of pearl - I said, no they weren't, but the headstock might have mother of pearl. It was then I saw that the material on the headstock looked similar to what was on the fretboard (not counting the yellowish lacquer color). I didn't have too much luck with asking around. It seems you can't say with certainty based on year and model alone. So, I felt it's probably best to make that call on a case-by-case basis. I decided to round up all the Gibson guitars and shoot a video and put the question out there: is it MOP or Pearloid? The video above shows all four guitars and their fret markers and headstock logo. I tried to keep the time down - but it's ten minutes total. Here is the YouTube The photos below are of the 1995 Les Paul Custom They're definitely mother of pearl blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleeko Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Looks real to me and to be honest, MOP is not very expensive. The only model that comes to mind having Gibson advertise the inlays as Acrylic is the Chet Atkins L-10. Curious what you find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockgitarristen Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 (edited) I found this on gibson.com The trapezoid inlays are found on many Gibsons, including the Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Standard Reissue. In most cases these inlays are made of an acrylic material with a swirly, figured effect, although in the case of - are Cellulose, in line with the material used on the original instruments from the 1950s. and Gibson Master Luthier Jim DeCola explained to Premier Guitar in October 2012. "We'll use acrylic, we'll use plastics and sometimes wood top dots and the inlays. Edited November 10, 2018 by Rockgitarristen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver_mica Posted November 12, 2018 Author Share Posted November 12, 2018 Saw that video a few years ago - probably why I thought only plastic inlays were used. I found this on gibson.com The trapezoid inlays are found on many Gibsons, including the Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Standard Reissue. In most cases these inlays are made of an acrylic material with a swirly, figured effect, although in the case of - are Cellulose, in line with the material used on the original instruments from the 1950s. and Gibson Master Luthier Jim DeCola explained to Premier Guitar in October 2012. "We'll use acrylic, we'll use plastics and sometimes wood top dots and the inlays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockgitarristen Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 If use a flashlight on the inlays in my LP58 and compare light effects with the headstock logo that's exactly the same schimmer with a swirly effect and the same on my smoke damaged SG91 but also on the dotinlays on my ES125T but they are probably made of Cellulose celuloid because i can see a small pit in the middle as if they have fallen in or shrunk. And i checked my LPX 2013 and it is as swirley as my other gibsoninlays and these ar acrylic according to specs on gibson.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockgitarristen Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 I've got four Gibson guitars - 1992 Les Paul Custom Plus 1995 Les Paul Custom 2001 Les Paul Custom Shop 1997 ES-335 Dot Reissue........... I found som ifo about mop on mylespaul.com, i dont know if its correct. "Standard" LP/SG: '52 - '67 = Celluloid Nitrate (MOP on Customs) '68 - '89 = Perloid (The same material used for pickguards; MOP for Customs/Anniversary models) '90 - Current = Figured Acrylic/Plastic/MOP/Abalone Customs/Supremes: Starting in or around '07, Gibson started substituting figured acrylic for MOP, and some, not all Customs have recieved these inlays instead. AFIAK, Supremes still get MOP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 (edited) The picture show an ebony fretboard with real MOP inlays. My 2015 SG Standard has real MOP too Edited November 16, 2018 by Revolution Six Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticsg Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 1542354309[/url]' post='1962746']The picture show an ebony fretboard with real MOP inlays. My 2015 SG Standard has real MOP too All 2015 SGs have MOP inlays, even the dots on the Special are MOP. Also the 2017 / 2018 Gary Clark Jr.'s use MOP for the inlays Not sure if all the SG HPs use MOP, but the first year 2016's do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaicho8888 Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 I don't know if this works; use at your own risk. Try pin drop of acetone on the fret inlays; maybe at the inlay/fretboard junction. If it softens the inlay, then it's not MOP material. It should dry solid later. BTW, I've carefully used cloth with acetone to clean pearls. I don't soak pearls if there are holes in the pearl like the ones on necklaces. The outer pearl coating is unaffected. However, I would not use this on the Gibson headstock logo... since it has a clear coat of nitro that dissolves in acetone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Does it matter? Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Does it matter?... To be fair, Ian, the OP mentions in post #7 that he is merely being curious and is not unhappy with his guitar. FWIW it looks like genuine seashell to me. It would be the environmentalists' choice, too; no need for making yet more nasty non-biodegradable man-made plastics which end up in fishes' stomachs!... You never know; perhaps Gibson employees are encouraged to go beach-combing for pretty 'vacated' oyster shells when they go for a day out to the seaside. I've done it myself. Very satisfying! Pip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnappi Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 I think it's mother of pearloid :-) Markers are generally the very last thing on my mind, I prefer no markers at all. Only my Pat Martino and Cort Jim Triggs were made without them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticsg Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 1550669215[/url]' post='1978623']Does it matter? Ian Not a deal breaker, but I would like and prefer them over acrylic/plastic inlays any day :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali Kalkan Posted August 15, 2023 Share Posted August 15, 2023 Is the logo on the Explorer 2016 T MOP or "acrylic"? Wondering because one of the difference between the HP and T is the MOP dot inlays vs the Acrylic dot inlays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted August 15, 2023 Share Posted August 15, 2023 You know this thread originally started in 2018 right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gibson Posted August 15, 2023 Share Posted August 15, 2023 We need to drive a stake thru the heart of this thread in order to kill it and live peacefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted August 15, 2023 Share Posted August 15, 2023 Notice above the the one post it clearly says . . . 4 years later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gibson Posted August 15, 2023 Share Posted August 15, 2023 I thought I was a procrastinator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted August 15, 2023 Share Posted August 15, 2023 2 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said: Notice above the the one post it clearly says . . . 4 years later. Yes. Just like a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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